Esteemed readers, for all intents and purposes it is clear that an escalation of fighting is upon us. The Nigerian military, buoyed by fresh deliveries of task-specific hardware and pursuant to their stated objective of liberating towns, districts and villages under Boko Haram occupation, and by newfound cooperation with hitherto indifferent neighbouring states, appear to be on a major offensive to achieve that objective.

We shall attempt to provide updates here as they reach us through reliable and unbiased combatants and citizens on the ground in the conflict areas.

Readers are requested to make use of this facility for the specified purpose and not clutter every thread with unrelated content.

BEEGEAGLE
beegeaglesblog@ovi.com

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BEEG EAGLE -perspectives of an opinionated Nigerian male with a keen interest in Geopolitics, Defence and Strategic Studies

320 Responses to MILITARY ESCALATION IN THE FAR NORTHEAST OF NIGERIA ; STATUS UPDATES

Reliable reports which reached me at about 1125hrs today, February 1st (from a relative who is a lecturer there and from other ‘classified sources’ )suggest that the multi-pronged attack on MDGR has been halted by the NA and NAF.

Troops standing by just in case BH relaunch while the CJTF are showing a certain resolve in the face of repeated attempts to take MAIDUGURI which suggests that the citizens now realise that no military defeats insurgents without the cooperation of the citizenry.

If that was a first wave of attack, it has now been thwarted. Thanks to the people of MDGR who realise, after the nightmarish coexistence with BH which sufficed between the start of this insurgency in September 2010 (2009 was an uprising which got thwarted) and H2 2013.

ogabeegz i can confirm that it seems an assult on the police training college out side gwoza is ongoing too…DIkwa LGA is been pounded heavily by NAF..this is it gentlemen the offensive we have been waiting for….

It seems the offensive we predicted here has finally started. Kudos to our troops for defending maiduguri today. As for Gwoza, still waiting for confirmatory reports. It seems the town has not been completly cleared. Hopefully, we will get details from the defence headquarters when that is done.

Dear Sir Beegs, NAF aerial reconnaissance assets should be force multiplier and relatively cheap to fly round the clock sorties in the Area of Ops ( ATRs, Beechcrafts, DA42), At an altitude of 3000 meters / 10,000 ft, a basic geo stabilized optical device can provide a resolution of 1 metre or better, actual advance system permit you to read a number plate at 4KMs and also ID a face, (May be it is not being reported a part of the classified information for 3 C intelligence situation,) I think that BH should not be able to creep up on any city without advance intel we have at enough platforms to at least cover this sensitive areas. We should also be able to monitor their retreat and call in seek and destroy interdiction airstrikes and this retreating elements.

All the same Great news Sir, on the defense of Maiduguri and also NA PRO has said categorically that they do not welcome foreign troop fighting unauthorized on our soil, what impact can 7500 Awilo dancing soldiers make to the situation apart from get in the way and slow down the momentum. it is also nice that people outside are beginning to see the bias of their western media
Comment from someone below,

not only in nigeria this was blamed on the sri lankan troops as well the western media was just reporting only about civilian casualties and giving false estimated figures such as 100,000 civilians deaths for the past 30 years of the war… Just see u can get the idea right?

hahahahahaha 7500 awilo dancing soldiers. man, you crack me up
Capt Tobias Wilcock. I respect your hustle sir.
Well, i think it goes without saying that, when fighting a war, there are only two sides, those who want to kill you, and those who defend themselves so as not to get killed; there is no fence to sit on, if one isn’t providing moral boosters for DHQ, then either one is providing said morale boosters for arerams, and we know who those are, or you hold your peace; those who understand this logic, easily know what has to be done and said especially at this particular time, in the thick of the battle. One can easily discern propaganda based on how very little is said about there own misgivings and supposed atrocities, no parallels are drawn, no rationals, just plain attack, well, can’t blame them for exercising there right to freedom of speech. Anybody who thinks war is fair, is deluded, its dirty, its immoral, and most times illogical because when it comes to an existential threat, all bets are off, you do what you can to stay alive, Nigeria, we hail thee.

This might be beginning of the final chapter of BH, May all this lessons not be in vain, but raise our military to the level others need to learn from. Also their was great display of maturity and discipline in dealing and accommodating our neighbours. Our opportunity to reposition our military as number is still there, depending on how we close this war. If show steel courage and intelligent tactics, they ( Our neighbours) have no choice than to now their place once again. I salute the bravery of our boys and men, Combat is never easy and always the moment of truth. One Nigeria, One Destiny all the Way, 2015 would not make our break, but would signify the beginnng of World dominance.

NAF intel assets need to be up , providing BH concentration Intel, ( All the aircrafts – ATR, Beechcraft, D42) are all weather capable VF/IR , This could be of incredible advantage and decisive in this engagement.. All hats up for the Eagle for this forum

I am sure that nobody here really doubted for a moment that Nigerian Military Cannot swipe BH in a moment, BH now thinks the S—– as hit the roof, we have awoken the sleeping giant. expect lots of surrender soon. We are learning a very expensive lesson, the knowledge agained must not be lost. We must become instructors on handling modern Asymmetric warfare. The UN acknowledges that the only Missions that were closed to violence and brought to peace were handled by Nigerian Forces, also good show to the CJF, they are also very brave risking bullets from BH and Blue on Blue from friendly forces. Way to go guys

That is fantastic, now we are becoming a force to reckon with, Imagine our neighbour realising that the armour they see is made in Nigeria. Well do Well done, Naija for Life. this is a one up over the South African manufactured Hippos, send us a pic

Oga Henry my boss, you know I said it on your photo thread that 23mm to 30mm cannon should be mounted on a special Igirigi version…..that is the only way to achieve firepower equalization between Nigerian army and Boko Haram forces.

If all this advice on firepower equalization has been cheaply done 9 months ago by Nigerian army with 1,000 units of our current amoured vehicles, this war would have ended long ago before AU, Chad, South African mercenaries all come to share the glory 50/50.

Nigerian soldiers died in hundreds in battle for 5 years, the new guests/visitors forces come to join in at the last minute, few weeks to the end of story, they take glory….they will boast…we saved Nigeria, what Nigerian army and air force could not do in 5 years, we entered the war and in 5 weeks we showed Nigerian military how to fight war and win.

Same way Britain stole Nigeria’s ECOMOG glory at the last minute in Sierra Leone war with a small platoon SAS commandoes and a few helicopter gunships, Nigeria lost 1,000 soldiers in ECOMOG war….Britain takes glory for being able to ‘end the war’…..all because Nigerian government was not smart enough to buy 12 units of Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunships for our soldiers who were reported to be begging and crying for combat helicopters to come wipe out the rebel faction called ‘West-Side Boys’ stronghold inside a big forest camp discovered in one particular Sierra Leone jungle.

Gentlemen, I shall block anybody who tries to start a fight here. Post a status update, lend your support to forces and citizens fighting against forces of darkness or keep quiet. Let me be the one to decide what is off the hook.

How would that happen, my man? The IGIRIGI APC is sturdier than Landcruiser trucks which carry everything from twin 14.5mm AAMGs to 23mm cannons, 57mm rocket pods normally affixed to Hind attack helicopters and even Type 63 107mm MRLs? Recoil starts to wear out the suspension based on the intensity and regularity of usage. Would not be much of a problem for the stronger driveline of the IGIRIRI APC.

There was a reason why we clamoured for single-barreled 14.5mm cannons to be mainstay on the BigFoot MRAPs…suppressing fire when leading out convoys. NA are still using too many GPMGs on Otokar Cobra APCs. All the units recovered from terrorists appear to carry GPMGs..which could be why they were captured. Imagine a GPMG-armed Cobra APC lined up against two DShK-armed Landcruisers. They would rip it apart in 20 seconds, even from 50 metres out.

Let us get these things right once and for all and stop hoping to reap where we have not sown. That said, it looks as if one saw twin 23mm cannons on the IGIRIGI APC.

Very sound idea which we had been recommending. The only one wey remain for my mind na to pull in our medium capacity carriers like the Donier 228 (i.e. poor man’s AC 130 spectre) and convert them to flying fortresses by mounting heavy gun pods and rocket pods.

They have the endurance to hand around for hours and hours out of sight, and suddenly plunging to obliterate Boko convoys.

ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh *shocked kia that is the nigerian spirit of improvisation, kia if only we can hit BH in gujuba LGA yobe state and end any attempt to spread inwards towards to NW and finally retake madagali to effectively clear adamawa of bh.the AOR will be concentrated in borno alone

Support all congratulatory posts with pictures please. We are still very angry about Chadian jets on Nigerian territory and now i am looking at Chadian MI 17 pictures on Nigerian soil on Linda Ikeji blog. We need some ego supporting news.

Let us hope that the inflow of hardware systems continues apace…T72AV/M1s complete with ERA kit, BVP-M2 SKCZ AIFVs, RM-70 MRLS, Hind and Hip attack and transport helics, PUMA MRAPs and CH-3A ARMED drones. No half-measures ever again please. Nigerians have paid a hefty price in blood while the military has endured more than enough of avoidable and demoralising reputational damage.

It looks like remote operation from inside the vehicle with secondary mode for manual although I don’t envy the gunner, turret looks small for the gun caliber. If BH can do remote firing NAEME will too. This will ‘toast’ anything up to 3km.

The reason why MDGR has been so tenaciously defended is because thr traumatised people of that city, having known the perils of war, decided to keep their city safe so that they can live in it.

Lessons for conflict-affected communities in the Northeast to imbibe. Collaboration will only serve to let in the perfidious and unscrupulous. Sometimes, men are the architects of the fate that befalls them.

This civilian support for Book Haram is easy to obviate when you don’t leave them in control of towns for too long. Hopefully we have rearmed to a level where we can respond to attacks almost immediately.

We salute you gallant and determined Nigerian soldiers from all three armed forces on the battlefield and battle airspace, this is your month of glory…well done for the fatherland ! God will protect you and give you the strength of the stallion plus the wings of the eagle as you defend Nigeria’s UNITY & FAITH ….amen !

Remember, o thou Nigerian soldier/pilot fighting Boko Haram, our churches and mosques are praying for you to crush the head of every enemy that challenges you in combat, Nigerian military has NEVER lost a war in our 100 year history….remember this, and win again !

God bless our gallant boys and girls who are doing us proud on the battlefield.
Such great news! Send those demons to hell.

My Oga’s, there is a good possibility that the Chiboc girls might be in caves in the Gwoza hills. That would be the natural place to hide them from air surveillance.
If this is the case, we must be prepared to use a mild form of chemical warfare, maybe carbon dioxide or tear gas to immobilise everyone in the caves and then save the girls.

Nigerian troops operating in the northeastern part of the country have captured a massive armory with arms and ammunition belonging to
insurgents, the Nigerian Defense
Headquarters (DHQ) said Sunday.

Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade,spokesperson of the Nigerian military headquarters, said in a statement reaching Xinhua that arms and ammunition, including two armored vehicles and two artillery guns, as well as 17 Hilux vehicles, were captured in different locations of Borno state by the troops following continuing mop-up
operations.

“The terrorists who in their disarray
strayed toward Bama, Ngom, Alou, Delwa and Mafa areas in the night have now been effectively contained. Mopping up operation is ongoing,” Olukolade added,noting that several terrorists also died.

According to him , the affected locations have been secured and soldiers wounded are being treated, adding that patrols and pursuit of fleeing terrorists is continuing in coordination with allied forces. On the terrorists attack on Maiduguri, the spokesperson said the situation was quickly contained.

The terrorists incurred massive casualty,Olukolade said, saying the situation is calm as mopping up operation in the affected area is ongoing.

The military spokesperson said the ongoing operations is in coordination with activities in the Multinational Joint Task Force. “The terrorists are meant to be engaged
in all fronts including their previous safe havens and hideouts in the region, It is in line with the arrangement for a comprehensive and coordinated military operation with inputs by military forces in the Lake Chad Basin Commission namely
Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon,”
Olukolade added.

Activities of the Boko Haram group have recently been on the increase in Borno, a state in the northeastern region of Nigeria, which shares a border with Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

The Boko Haram, a major security threat in Nigeria since 2009, has killed hundreds of people in the last three months in many village attacks across three states in the northeast region.

CITIZENS OF KONDUGA PROTEST PLAN TO WITHDRAW ARMOURED VEHICLES FROM THE TOWN

DAILY TRUST
FEB 1, 2015

Meanwhile, People of Konduga town in Borno State yesterday raised the alarm over alleged attempts by the high military command to withdraw heavy fighting equipment, including Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) from the town.

In the last six months, the Boko Haram insurgents have had more than 20 encounters with troops in Konduga but could not succeed in taking over the town. Konduga, situated 25 kilometers southeast of Maiduguri is the gateway to the state capital.

It is the only town standing along the Maiduguri-Bama-Gwoza road and the Boko Haram insurgents have been trying unsuccessfully to take over the town.

It was gathered that there was a protest in Konduga on Saturday, by both troops and residents of the town when a senior army officer from Maiduguri went there and ordered the immediate relocation of the APCs to an unknown destination.
A community leader in Konduga, who does not want his name mentioned because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said they were suspicious of the withdrawal order.

“This inglorious attempt must be investigated,” he said. “The truth is, once these armoured tanks are taken away, the terrorists will simply ride over the soldiers stationed here,crush us, the inhabitants and advance to Maiduguri,” he said.

He said instead of taking away the three APCs in the town, “More should be redeployed because Konduga is like a big wall that protects Maiduguri. We have resolved to take our complaint to the Shehu of Borno and Governor Kashim Shettima to seek for their support. If these tanks are taken away, we would be left with no option than to believe that there is grand conspiracy to eliminate us.”

NO TO THE WITHDRAWAL OF ARMOURED VEHICLES FROM THE GATEWAY TOWN OF KONDUGA

Well, there you have it. That is another reason why we must always buy hardware in consequential numbers. For a Konduga which has being heroically defended by some of the most gallant men in the Nigerian Armed Forces, it would amount to dishonouring the memory of the victims of the ferocious fighting which has taken place in that gateway town IF armoured vehicles are pulled back from there.

PLEASE, such unacceptable stuff does not need to happen. We must now but a comparatively modern and frontline APC, cheaply acquired off-the-shelf and in consequential numbers and one which does the business for conventional operations, asymmetric warfare and foreign PSOs alike,

For me, we should be looking to the BTR-80 APC for this purpose – variants armed with 14.5mm cannons. For one, they are widely available in Russia and the CIS states. We already operate modernised BTR-70s and new BTR-3s and BTR-4s. So familiarity with the systems and rapidity of deployment can be guaranteed. Ditto maintenance crews who will adapt quickly to the related vehicle. All BTRs will thus be fully interoperable.

We have been shouting against the acquisition of hardware systems in unworkable numbers. That is why we want to move APCs from Konduga to MDGR and Hind attack helics from PHC to Yola. Gentlemen, we do not need that kind of drama. I am sure that we can grab an initial haul of 100 BTR-80s to deploy immediately to the combat zone, alongside fresh stocks of T72 tanks and BVP-M2 AIFVs.

An initial haul of 100 units of BTR-80 APCs might not cost us more than US$35 million. With modernisation after this emergency, we can keep them in service until 2030-35.

many thanks to beegeagle for accepting me to your forum.
nigerian army could surely use something like iranian Mesbah-1.it is composed of 4 ZU-23-2 guns (8 individual guns in total) installed on a rotatable mount wheeled carrier. Each autocannon has it’s own feed magazine. Normal firing rate for ZU-23-2 is 2,000 rounds per minute The whole system is tracked by a military truck. On road position the Mesbah-1 uses a four-wheel trailer. The trailer features two parts, the upper and the lower mount. The upper mount determines traverse of the guns, which is in the pivot bearing of the lower mount. The lower mount comprises the two-axle chassis and the outriggers with the levelling spindles for three-point support in the firing positions.
IT WILL DEFINATELY DECIMATE ANY BOKO ASSAULT IN MINUTES.
I believe nigeria has more than enough technical expertise to develop it inhouse and mount it on armoured APC.also can install COTS IR/Optical sensors along with it to get night fighting cababilty.
the picture are in the links below

four of these BADASS can be tied together to a low cost survillance system like indian made Battle Field Surveillance Radar which is a man portable 2D short range Battle Field and Perimeter Surveillance Radar to make a real destructive weapon system.

BFSR is a man portable, lightweight, battery operated, surveillance radar. Weighing around 30 kg.
it is a fully coherent Pulse Doppler radar,the radar a Low Probability of Intercept (LPI), making it difficult to detect by enemy sensors. The radar operates over 21 channels in J band (10 to 18/20 GHz). It can be operated in all weather conditions, and during day and night.

A third generation thermal imager has also been configured for use on the BFSR and has been integrated with it. Operating in the Mid-wavelength Infrared (MWIR) spectrum (3-5 micrometre wavelengths), the imager has a single field of view (monocular sighting) This has given the BFSR day and night viewing capability. All BFSR data and images, both radar as well as thermal data are combined and displayed on the common control and display unit (CDU). Thus, the radar can integrate its display with IR sensor output, which improves the overall efficacy of the system.

The BFSR has been designed for fast deployment, with a setup time of less than 5 minutes.The radar has an inbuilt GPS for self location and alignment with the digital map. It also has a built-in digital magnetic compass which can automatically align the radar to the North.This ensures that the precise location of targets is measured.

The radar can also be vehicle or mast-mounted, to increase the detection capabilities
The radar array is mounted on a 6 meter long telescopic mast on a jeep or truck platform.

At INR 4-5 millions per unit, the BFSR costs a third of the price of comparable western systems.
The BFSR has also notched up foreign sales, with Indonesia ordering 100 units and Sudan ordering 10 radars. In fact, Indonesia was the first customer to receive the radars, even before the Indian Army.Mozambique has also bought some radars for trials.

In the days ahead, possibly tomorrow, the BBC WORLD SERVICE shall be airing a programme titled “IS THE NIGERIAN ARMY FAILING?”.

Airing curiously at a time when the NA are clearly resurgent and have never had it so good in terms of the potency and modernity of systems delivered (we cannot realistically compare either the T72AV/M1 tanks to the Vickers Mk.3 dud sold to us, for example), the timing of the documentary might not be optimal since current developments as they pertain to provisioning and the retaking of occupied territories might have superceded the purpose behind the production of the documentary.

I look forward to hearing or reading a BALANCED report and not just cliched stereotypes about corruption and nothing else. Have the BBC kept tabs with the ONGOING and massive rearmament exercise which has not happened for three decades? Contracts have been signed for and/or deliveries taken of modernised T72 tanks and Mi-247/Mi-35P attack helicopters and Mi-17 transport helicopters, upgraded A-Jet ground attack jets, new-build and state of the art BVP-M2 and BTR-4 IFVs, Mi-35M and Mi-171Sh Terminator all-weather attack and assault helicopters, CH-3A attack drones, Streit Spartan Mk.3 APCs and BigFoot MRAPs etc.

All too often, the loss of flavour which characterises many of the foreign journalistic offerings on Nigeria is that it dwells too much on biased sectional opinions and narrow prisms. May it not be another opportunity for disgruntled elements to ventilate their grievances. The so called activists in Nigeria who the foreign media turn to for guidance are nearly all buccaneers who are looking to hide behind false causes to skim off lucre from impressionable foreigners. The expatriates are themselves always looking out for any opportunity to undermine and slander and in the process, get caught up in webs of intrigue which exceeds their comprehension.

Let us have a BALANCED report for once in a very long time..not one hijacked by BBC Hausa to advance the cause of its preferred presidential candidate. That is sadly what BBC Hausa have been doing since 2011…spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt to gain political mileage for their favoured candidate. This is done through a consistent barrage of skewed reports sent to an unsuspecting and trusting BBC WORLD SERVICE. That taints the news.

We challenge the BBC to do something stellar for once in a long time. Ask OPEN-ENDED questions only. For example, “Is the Nigerian Army failing?” meant to be an objective question or a subjective conclusion? Offer all sides to the story and not an overdose of downers. Then, allow the reader/listerner/viewer to make up his or her own mind.

That and ONLY that is the only kind of reportage which will sell and be acceptable in a multi-layered Nigeria.

Only yesterday, a certain Lola Shoneyin was pretending to love a particular candidate in a writeup for “The Guardian UK” based on personal convictions. What she did not mention was the fact that her husband is a servimg commissioner in a state led by that party – which makes her offering anything but uncompromised.

The BBC must navigate this minefield that is Nigeria reportage with dexterity and sensitivity lest they become identified with a particular interest. The ONLY thing which all world citizens should stand together on account of in this Nigeria is the moral duty of rejecting and speaking out against terrorism as perpetrated by BOKO HARAM.

Oga Beeg, forget those BBC- Bokoharam Broadcasting Cooperation clowns.
Nothing good can ever come out of that dung-heap.
They will never have any good thing to say about Nigeria or its army.
They already have a set negative agenda which will not change.
My only advice for the Nigerian army is to deny ALL correspondents of BBC any visa into this country.
Most of the sensitive information getting to these foreigners is being orchestrated from certain sections within the country as well.
As for BBC hausa, it should be shut down permanently.
VON- hausa service should improve their programs.
There is a collective western media campaign against Nigeria.
The only way to shut these foreign parachute journalists up is for the NA to neutralize these boko haram pigs once and for all time.

Seconded it is not buy force now,discretion is the better part of valor.The dhq can always deny for security reasons anyone of the journalists,producers,executive producers,narrators and contributing editors, and researchers visas to come to Nigeria,it is not a right to come and cover the election it is a privillege,thinking about members of the Dhq,sss,dia should be watching the broadcasts, as for me I am looking at composing a letter about the. Iranian radar system. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network

kick on oga beeg, Nigerian is made for dominance. The giant of Africa must be such in every field and facet of life. And infact, our population is threat to the world.
GOD bless NIGERIA.
GOD bless GeNERAL Beeg.

I’d go work @lachit’ s Iranian, quad, semi-self propelled MESBAH 1 ZU 23 2 and the BSFR radar based ground movement detection system for base / FOB defence. Even when Boko Haram is fully defeated (which is possible in the next ten days), FOBs and barracks would still need to be defended. These two systems coupled and just integrated together can form the beginnings of a way to detect and defeat desperate base attacks from insurgents with better reliability than the ZSU 23 4. They are also helicopter portable and redeployable in minutes thus giving good operational flexibility for troops. Fortuitously also the Iranians offered some help against Boko Haram last week. I say NA, go for it.

this is the army we know. no more excuses and lacklustre performance. enter the gallant nigerian army with grit and steadfastness. godspeed gallant warriors. these lessons should never be forgotten. victory NA, victory NAF, victory naval ‘detachment’
long live the FRN. this vermin would be obliterated

@ oga lachit, good job. we can see that the army now have their thinking hat on. this is forward thinking. good tactics and good hardware such as these would become invulnerable. just imagine having this on a hill overlooking a town in borno. there’s the strategic position and view. it would be like having one’s own gunship lol.

That thing can be used for a variety of roles – Air defense, coastal defense, mounted on ships, towed by vehicle for anti personnel roles, base defense etc. Its seriously badass (using ur words) and the army and navy could make do with a couple.

Any news on Damboa. @ last heard still fighting, fighting ongoing for 10 hours. BH are on death’s ground and looking for a vent. We either destroy them all in situ or reroute them and destroy them in passage.

Is the south african government siding the terrorists ?
I am asking because we paid for weapons and the southafrican government stopped the deal and confiscated the money. Now they are talking about prosecuting any of their who would help Nigeria in anyway. I also recall that they were telling the chinese niot to invest in Nigeria. Is it safe to say that the government of south africa wants our death ?

Oga Igbi Much respect for your comments,however not to discard them,Right now the F.g.does not to pay any attention to what the S.A. govt is doing they have been reduced to the sidelines. It is increasingly becoming apparent based on their history in the part they are consistently relegated to the sidelines. Libya,Ivory Coast come to mind.Nigeria needs to stay focused right now and end this war and once the light begins to shine You will be surprised at what will be spilling out of some people’s guts. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network

How the hell, did we give bh so many equipments? It is like we opened up most of our amoury in the north with an invite……too many tanks,apc, howtwizers and so on….. Heavy weapons given to bh. How come?

I do not think you statement is accurate. Only two or three barracks have been affected by the insurgency. Moreover be careful when using words such as “most” since you actually have no numbers. We did lose some equipment, nobody is denying that, but keep in mind that it is only two or three of our barracks that lost equipment.

A lot of what you said is true,with regards to overrunning the bases,the NPF training school in Mubi? Or was it Gwoza,however it is irrelevant right now,what is relevant is this wiping out those who do not surrender,The Vicker tanks we have were not used in large quantities and based purely on my speculation the NA seemed to have more confidence in their older T-55s those. I expect to see it still will not be a fair contest,as we are speaking artillery shells are popping of so I do not understand the dampness of your mood,you wanted the pmcs it appears you got, you wanted the helios and drones evidence has been provided, Surge? Oga beegs just reported hundreds of heavily armed are converging we know where you know where so what is the problem now ? Are we going to looking in our back mirror? Please let me know,Also I need to see the picture of the MRLS system. God bless Nigeria Amen. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network

@doziex, I was talking about military barracks, I never mentionned police stations. And to the best of my recollection onlt two or three had been “overran” with two of them already liberated and some are even giving word that the 3rd one might already have been liberated. I know you want to portray the Nigerian army as a force which needs PMCs but I think you are going the wrong way on this. And thanks for attributing your claim to the NSA who never said what you are saying. I was also not talking about FOBs, but I guess you need to add all you can to increase the numbers. For info I was also not talking about villages and private homes. I say this because I suspect that you will soon add these to increase your numbers.

Whatever happens let us press the advantage.We must completely drive them out of Adamawa and close the noose on them by linking the Adamawa axis( gwoza ,bama) with maiduguri pushing them towards the border where our neighbours lay in wait. we should also encircle sambisa forest and run an ‘armoured spear’ through it ( it wont be easy),so that they can’t attack front the rear. Sambisa is behind the gwoza bama Maiduguri ring. The Chadians can help us close the ring further up north if we can’t.

OGA HENRY
question in your Honest opinion why is the ARMY so slow to change , why are they always coming in last in things like HMGs, mounted, MGLs mounted do they not talk to their brothers in the NAVY veterans of the N/ delta Wars?

Oga Jimmy,I have no idea. The Navy has and would continue to be the more innovative of the 3 branches. Their SBS are kitted to the best possible standards, more up to date fighting techniques, properly equipped. In truth, I have no idea.

Sadly my bro Soldiers all over the world are some of the most stubborn people in the World.
They are trained not to accept No as an answer, and to brave impossible odds. Consequently, it tends to take them time to stop trying same tactics and questions the tactics that have been drummed into their skulls during training.

Consider this, as at the beginning of WWI, the British Army still routinely fielded mounted cavalry complete with sabers and all, even though all armies were already armed with machine guns.

The same British army entered the WWII with no clear answer to the blitzkrieg and tank warfare, even though the nazis were already conducting large scale maneuvers using this approach.

It took the embarrassment of the Vietnam war for the US Army to reorganize to what we know today.

Long and short is that Armies tend to make sometimes childish mistakes in predicting the future. The key thing is to take the learning on board and make the improvements permanent. It also helps to have a team of strategic thinkers who are taken seriously and listened to (not like our TRADOC who are consigned to obscurity in Minna and are treated like an examination organisation body).

its institutionalised resistance to change, the NA had previously rested on its oars beleiving its fearsome reputation was enough, it did not evolve with the times. but when the chips are down u evolve or go into extinction. so now the are evolving.

RIP, our big brother. All that lives shall die one day. But how many of us will go to the grave knowing that we were worthy human beings ? That we fought for our country, that children yet unborn will enjoy education and sleep safe thanks to our sacrifice ? Our big brother died a Nigerian soldier, an African warrior, the pride of Nigeria. Sir you didn’t die in vain, Nigeria shall be great, all Nigerians owe it to our heroes, we must be great, our existance must be worthy of the sacrifice these great men are making for us. RIP to our big brother who fought like a lion.

http://www.naij.com/377745-army-recaptures-five-towns-from-boko-haram.html
OGA GENERALS , as I await further confirmation from the DHQ If this is further confirmed by more independent sources the ” RUN FOR THE BORDER” strategy of BOKO HARAM will now be cut in half , it will behoove the F.G., the GOVT OF Chad and the Govt of Cameroon to descend on NGALA while making sure towns like FOTENSKOL are raided on both sides of the border, This gentlemen if they ( NA ) do not let up is going to be ONE helluva of ride, the enemy must not be allowed to regroup, he must know now he will not sleep in the same town for two consecutive nights in a row,

So Chad has its own shit going on it is out there on Nigeria’s borders making a show of being a warrior army. Now the hypocritical western press describe Chad as ‘regional military heavy weight’
I just nearly broke my system watching the crap they say on BBC, Guardian and VOA about Nigeria. I think some western countries feel threatened by Nigeria. And I can only think of one thing, it’s not our resources they are afraid of, but our young, growing population who if truth must be told are slowing gathering a lot of skills around the world, USA, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America. China was like us 15-20 years ago and now China is in principle the richest, most buoyant economy on earth penny to penny. So I guess the statistics point to Nigeria going the same way and with the resilience and determination of its people, it wont be long before Nigeria starts playing on the big stage. Only if we could find the right people to harness all the skills, all the resources, all our people scattered all over the world to help build a better country.
Chad and the rest of Franco-phone Africa sometimes still think as if they are still being colonized by the French.

Lt Colonel Amanze, an infantry officer, was born to a retired ACP and hailed from Uke in Anambra State. He grew up in Onitsha GRA and two of his childhood friends, one a Colonel and the other a US-based engineer (both of them brothers) are really feeling shattered by this sad event. It was one of the brothers who broke the news to me at about 2pm today. Lt Colonel Amanze was not too far away from earning his next promotion, having gained considerable seniority on his present rank.

Such is the human aspect of the tragedy that is this BH insurgency. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

beautiful absolutely beautiful my ogas did anybody watch..the AIT PR REport on the army’s coin warfare captioned
NIGERIAN ARMY COIN OPPS “THE GAIN AND THE PROSPECTS”
I swear it was the most comprihensive report on happenings in the NE.i mean it had everythng
Live training
Vertical envelopment in real combat engagement
Massive show of our armour
Plus live drone attacks yes real live drone engagement
This is the best program i have watched since the bbc”s” nigerian silent war”.
Some dudes in army PR JUST UPTED THEIR game now they have shown that they havent been asleep. I simply hope AIT youtube portal will have the video abeg we need 2 spread it

Well there was an interesting clip from nose mounted TV/FLIR equipment of a chopper or jet showing the disablement via precision weapons of a suicide bombing civilian vehicle approaching a column of two or three NA tanks. It was a daytime strike so very vivid and clear video. That clip alone makes a good case for modern aircraft and precision weapons.

Is that not what we asked the FG to do just a few months ago?. We even said, lease the aircraft before the ones you are ordering get here, employ the pilots via a PMC or use gov’t to gov’t deal but get as many planes in the air as possible.
Let us not support bad things, if our gov’t is slack let us tell them so.

I don’t think you understood his statement, he is calling this a weakness from the chadian military and he is right to say so. When an army is relying on mercenaries then you know that something went wronng. Only Nigerian pilots will fly Nigerian warplanes. Apparently chad can’t train an airforce. Nigeria has an airforce and has bbought quite a number of aircrafts and quite a number are still coming. there will be no PMC flying our warplanes, because we can fly them ourselves.

Getting Instructors is really good for our Air force but using Mercs to fly our jets is just an embarrassment. That does not mean it cant be used in the short term but it really has to be in the short term and training of our boys have to be paramount.

It’s more worry for us if experienced European fighter jet pilots are flying Chad’s jets, imagine a 20 year experienced ex-Ukranian air force pilot flying Chadian MiG-29 jet….in dog fight with Nigerian F-7 jet pilot who has 5 years experience on an inferior jet.

I will advice NAF and FG sign the JF-17 Thunder deal in time and stop wasting time ! Pilots need to start training now now. With Chad flying jets to bomb Bokos inside Nigerian territory, what if dispute arises, they bomb Nigerian army by mistake, we tell them to stop flying in, they refuse to stop because they have air superiority over Nigerian with their MiG-29 jets….hope they don’t have BVR missiles o ! Allies and friends do fight sometimes o, the devil knows how to sow seed of misunderstanding.

Yes o. We need the capability with alacrity. It is a very dangerous region. Chad itself has a fight to the death in its eastern border, Nigerian should have the capability to dominate the whole entire environment.
As for Chad’s air ops in naija territory, you ask what would have happened if they had bombed Nigerian Army by mistake?. Well I am sure they have already bombed many Nigerian civilians by mistake, there is no way civilians were not affected during that operation.
Nigeria used Egyptian pilots during the civil war, the first places the dogone pilots bombed were churches and upon all the uproar it was soon forgotten.
It is of negative value to be discussing these things for now so we keep quiet.

“Well I am sure they have already bombed many Nigerian civilians by mistake”. Actually it is almost impossible to prove that the chadian “airforce” has actually used its few aircrafts and mercenary pilots in this conflict.

Hear boko sympathizer talk, so now we should thank boko haram ! After pooring a lot of propaganda on this blog for Nigeria to attack each and everyone of our allies against boko haram, now you are telling us thank boko haram. One question to you: should the chibok girls and their families also thank boko haram for their rape ? Should the 13000 dead Nigerians issue a thank you letter to boko haram ? Your double talk is not working.

Barely seven hours after they were pushed back from Maiduguri, Borno State, insurgents attempted to overrun Tungushe, Konduga Local Government Area of the state.

Tungushe has a strong military presence and is considered a strategic point to Maiduguri.

It was learnt that about 1,000 soldiers in the village routed the insurgents with the assistance of some vigilantes .

A vigilante said, “Many Boko Haram insurgents were again killed in Tungushe when they attempted to invade the village.

“They regrouped after they were routed near Maiduguri on Sunday and came at about 5pm to the village. They engaged the military in a gunfight, throwing explosives and Rocket Propelled Grenades but were successfully repelled. So many of them were killed. Their corpses littered the streets and bushes in the village.”

A military source, who did not want his name in print, claimed that over 100 insurgents were killed.

A Borno State resident, Jack Vince, posted on his Facebook page on Monday that many soldiers, “including a Lt. Col., were reportedly killed at Tunkushe very close to my community and the military base.”

He said that he learnt that most of the soldiers were killed by the heavy artillery fired from the cantonment.

“As I scribble these lines, gunshots and heavy artillery could be heard from the barracks. It may be yet another armaggedon tonight(Monday),”he warned.

Aaah Lt. Col. JA Amanze may your brave and gentle soul rest on the arms of the Royal Host. Dewey my simpathy, Am humbled to have meet Amanze as newly Commissioned and later as a major through his uncle who is my mother’s Doctor in Onitsha back in the days.
my condolence to the entire families of the Anago clan.

Their Mi-24s were acquired first and were reportedly flown by Ukrainian mercs as long ago as 2008. Next came the Su-25s flown by Belarussian and Ukrainian pilots and most recently, they acquired three MiG 29s, also flown by mercs.

This is an opportune moment to end the conventional phase of this war forever, after this hearts and minds, good governance in far away villages, road building, power generation, education and security apparatus can be deployed so that the people of Borno and other parts of the North see the value of being in the Nigerian Polity, also state and local govts must take an active part in teaching and helping educate people on non violence in religion and the pre eminence of the state in this world .

However the NA must not “turtle up” like it is prone to do sometimes and assume a defensive posture, if it takes a year of going on offence we need GOCs and battle commanders who are ready for it, if it be 3 or 4 so be it, but please no more repelling attacks, everyday lets hear of offensives. If we here of a repelling lets hear of a counter attack the next day. Lets get MNJTF, CJTF and any other freaking JTF. State and local armed forces , throw everything at them and send BH to hell.

The NIgerian Army has been slow to change but thats now a thing of the past every modern army must at least theoretically prepare for every kind of warefare possible evenif it seems far fetched that way when u r suddenly faced by a new threat you have a manual to operate by.

Its time for every inch of the Nigerian airspace be covered by active radar nt that passive ish that commercial and civilian air traffic control uses that requires the planes to have transponders. that way no one enters our airspace without our knowing about it. we have to adopt a holistic approach to our national defense.

as I wrote in my last comments here on this blog that the full operation would start first week in February, I can now authoritatively confirm to you all that the operations has started today around 1am.
Heavy bombing has started today in Sambisa forest which is know was their main camp. soon the media would carry the information. heavy amount of troops have been deployed in all main areas held by boko in the 3 states and LGAs.
elimination processes.
I am very sure and certain armed drones are been used…about 3 drones.

the introduction of the drones are actually the game chnagers for me. we need more drones…..I think we have about 10 of them………I’m cannot confirm this yet.
silent Bird view of the enemies and direct dropping of bombs on them, hideout and technicals.
whoever says Nigerian Army isn’t capable is an ignorant fool
whoever says Nigerian Army isn’t strong, is an enemy
whoever says we are not the strongest and largest army in Africa is asking for WAR

Nigerian army would emerge a stronger force after this testing episode of boko haram. westerners see scared of arming Nigeria because they know we are CAPABLE.

The gravest error will be to admit terrorists and start a DDR program that will further turn our nation to a mockery of militants. Boko Haram have refused all pleas to seize hostilities and went further to state they were the ones to offer the Nigerian nation amnesty. OPERATION NO MERCY should now be initiated and anyone who feels for, thinks like, reason with, or assist Boko Haram should be summarily executed after a prescribed specified date. Any country man found supporting Boko Haram financially should be killed in firing squad in public glare. There are no democratic values for promoters of death.

William relax, Nigeria’s current military capability is a far cry from what it used to be, as far back as 1984 the Nigerian air force fielded several squadrons of advanced 4th Gen fighter of its time the Jaguar, that was 1984, what current West/Central African country has that in its arsenal today. Puts into perspective the free fall decline of what the Nigerian military once was and WILL BE.

Says oje, the guy who knows nothing about the Nigerian military and occasionnaly confuses malian soldiers with Nigerian soldiers, the same guy who also preaches for the free circulation og terrorist propaganda. I see you are still on the same business. I am still wondering why you keep trying to pretend that you are one of us after outing yourself as a boko haram sympathiser.

Amen .Close the gap drop the leaflets in three specific languages,Kanuri,Fulani,and Arabic. Surrender,give up your leaders,they are dead men walking, we are not interested in killing, for you the war is over.God bless Nigeria. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network

The FG should quickly build holding camps in the desert at Yusufari, Kukawa and Gashua. They are going to plant a 1,300km long Great Green Wall between Kebbi and Borno as payback to Nigerians for their sustained acts of idiocy. Dem go see 99 :-). NOBODY is going to be demobilised into an opulent life after committing brazen acts of terror.

ND militants were adjudged the world over to have been deprived rebels with a cause but they did not kill their people or mount suicide attacks on either church or mosque. Conversely, BH are purely terrorists…hired killers from the next planet who barely deserve to be treated humanely. Save for the Geneva Convention, I would have suggested that we borrow a nuclear bomb from India and nuke them right where they are encircled. They are a despicable and sub-human species.

If they choose to fight, the military should bludgeon them to death with PGMs, mortars and artillery. If they surrender, they should be disarmed and moved into position for the horticultural exercise. Sun go burn dem nuh be small…

Oga Zachary999. I respect your hustle sir.
hehehe. Respectfully sir, as with everything, Nigeria is one unique country, I believe she will not go total scorched earth on the trapped arerams, remember most of the members of this subhuman sect are women, children, all conscripted and brain washed into gun totting zombies; if they surrender, they will be accommodated and re-orientated(remember hundreds of them have already surrendered, tired of fighting); and to the die hard fanatics willing to go down in a hail of bullets, well, surely they will be swiftly dispatched, #VictoryForNigeria.

Oga Eagle, 1000% percent with you on this one Sir, let them work in chain gangs, it will be a new perspective rehabilitation for the World to see. After all the US Arizona Sheriff,Joe_Arpaio
– keeps all his hard prisoner in tents through , he say if it is good enough for US troop it is good enough for murderers and robbers,
-They grow there food which is mostly vegetable( eat only twice a day for energy to work and energy after work) and have no exercise facilities , he says he does not want to create any super strong robbers after they get out of prison, he would like one his deputies to be able to out run them or knock out two of them easy.
-The prisoners complained to the federal Govt about being denied cable TV like other prisons, so he got them the weather channel only so that they can know how painfully the next day chain work weather is going to be.
The can start building the economy they tried to destroy, Our emphasis is no more on core oil funded. let them feed the army and the locality in NE for a while from their own sweat. after they are old enough to be no harm and turned into farmers.
The identified executioners must go they can never ever be normal. Death would be an easy escape for the leaders, they should be incapacitated and jailed under ground for life. if they spend enough time they would loss their sight not enough to see their finger in front of them and also time to recollect how they got this life time wrong. this should shout up the west and shame them. i go send you Oga, some thing later I cannot send from my present loc, i would want you to see it first, cause it might be what is responsible for Grand western attitude to us.

French planes reconnoiter Nigeria border areas…
Chad troops enter Nigeria.
I am seriously uneasy about having francophone soldiers/foreign soldiers on Nigerian soil.
Something smells really fishy in all this.
It looks like a well orchestrated plot hatched in paris.
All of a sudden chadian soldiers are now experts in counterinsurgeny???
Nigeria army better watch their backs.

Igbi and Co United, blind patriotism is as dangerous as corruption. With the exception of the likes of AreJames, Augustine and Beegeagle none of you here is more patriotic than I am, that’s a fact. It’s time we all not wish away the ills hampering our war efforts cos they will repeat itself. Nigeria can do far more better than we are doing now and WE WILL. The Boko Haram imbroglio is not the North/South Christian/Muslim divide the West is painting it out to be. And not tolerating criticism of our armed forces is equally as dangerous.

I will get off your case when you stop being a boko haram sympathizer. It if funny how a person who keeps preaching for the spreading and watching of boko haram propaganda can call himself a patriot. And tell me what is your definition of “blind patriotism”. So I am the blind one while you know virtually nothing about Nigeria and Nigerian armed forces. Was it me or you who saw a video of malian soldiers in malian uniform and called them Nigerian soldiers ? Was it me or you who called for Nigeria to attack cameroon the very day the cameroonians started fighting against boko haramin their country. Just on this same thread, you have attacked someone prasing the Nigerian military and you coupled this with insults against the Nigerian military. You even suggested that Nigerians offer thanks to boko haram. And that makes you a patriot ?! You are a real joke. That rather makes you a boko haram sympathizer who probably didn’t know of Nigeria’s existence untill he heard that some of his same minded fellows were on their usual terrorist business in Nigeria.

Sometimes, the Nigerian military just do what is expected of them. Remember that only last week, even yours truly was wondering why we are not using our new Chinese-supplied CH-3A armed drones (precisely, we got the newer and improved CH-3A with greater speed, endurance and heavier payload..not just the CH-3s)

Let us hope that nobody proposes or contemplates a ceasefire. IGNORE all mushy talk likely to come out of the West and press for a clinical finish. Pour more troops into the AOR…draft a company, squadron and battery from every battalion and regiment of the NA. Draft all CTU cops to work with troops to garrison liberated areas.

I take it that all those who engage in intractable argumentation on this blog are the “boys who are mingling with men”. You can at least borrow a leaf from the mannerisms of the men for the next few days. Let us act with sobriety. To be sure, some of us are becoming liabilities to the blog…the fighters, the dissers of all things Sino-Russian who have ironically turned out to be our face savers in this war. Who cannot see what the CH-3A drones and T72 tanks are doing?

Control of one’s emotions is a hallmark of maturity. All this tattle that some of us get into, what does it have to do with what should be our core focus at this time – getting updates at a defining moment of this war? Na wa for some of una o.

someone once said ” I may not agree with your opinion but i will fight to the death to protect your right to that opinion”. truth is that anyone who only praises or only condemns the NA is a hypocrite. the NA has on various occasions deserved praise and other occasions deserved knocks. Just look at the Konduga battles and the initial response to the kidnap of the Chibok Girls.
The Major issue in the NA has always been corruption a lot of the money meant for welfare and equipment and maintenance goes into private pockets. The wealth of the average NIgerian General could obviously not have been accumulated by living on Generals salary.

but Despite its problems the NA a potent fighting force. given the right incentives it would always perform in excellent fashion as evidenced by the various peace keeping operations.

@adetayo’s blog, Please give me the details of that corruption. A litle bit of precision would be helpfull. Let us gather this information and sue whomever you have proof against. Which general is corrupt according to you ? And tell us his bank details and his salary. But I guess you are just repeating a claim you heard hundreds of times without being given any proof, but to you just hearing it is enough. In the real world you need proof to make such accusations. Facts and feelings are not the same thing. Your feelings have been altered by what the media and especially the western media have been telling you. But facts, you have none. Please don’t rubbish an entire rank of superior officers who climbed the ladder just like their juniors are climbing the ladder. The Nigerian military is not corrupt. What is corrupt is your mind, it is polluted by the anti6nigerian propagnda which keeps reppeating itself. So please next time try and get proof before saying such destructive words.

WeLl I certainly dont hv hard facts but neither do u hv to the contrary. However certain things can be deduced from the riches accumulated by “some ” military men. From testimonies and lifestyles of men serving in the Niger Delta etc. I am entitled to an opinion and I hv stated it, if u hv “facts” to the contrary then say it. No need to attack my person by calling me corrupt. Look around many senior officers wealth cannot be traced to thier salaries or any business being run. Hw wld u suggest they acquired the wealth. Let me emphasise that u shld stay on issues and quit attacking personalities. In other words be civil.

It doesn’t make you any smart to just repeat a claim which have been said millions of times with no proof provided.A person with personality doesn’t play the aprrot game. If you have any proof against any case of corruption then please share help the military arrest the person against whom you have proof. But all you have is a copy annd paste claim. No thought of your own. Just a feeling which was put into you by western media. And ofcourse those who do not follow western media blindly are what you call hypocrits.

As the Nigerian Navy continue to outclass her only rival in SSA the SA Navy the South Africans are apparently trying to compensate for the lost leverage they have with War Ships and surveillance system are now consolidating on its superior training by continuous Naval exercises with the most powerful Navy known to man.

Exercise Cutlass Express 2015 commences

Maritime forces from East Africa, South Africa, Europe, Indian Ocean nations, the United States and several international organizations began the fourth iteration of the multinational maritime Exercise Cutlass Express on January 28.

Exercise Cutlass Express 2015, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (Africom), is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness (MDA) and information-sharing practices to increase capabilities of East African and Indian Ocean nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.

The exercise leverages The Djibouti Code of Conduct, which 21 nations are signatory to, as a framework for exercising information-sharing practices and enforcing maritime rule of law at sea.

Scenarios focused on the globally-recognized Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) will allow endorsing nations to develop capabilities to detect and disrupt the delivery of materials used to build and develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Exercise Cutlass Express, in its fourth year, is one of four Africa-focused regional “Express” series exercises facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet (CNE-CNA/C6F). The exercise is part of a comprehensive strategy by CNE-CNA/C6F and AFRICOM to provide collaborative opportunities amongst African partners that addresses maritime security concerns.
READ MORE
Exercise Cutlass Express planning in Simon’s town
Exercise Cutlass Express 2013 concludes
Exercise Cutlass Express 2013 commences

Africom

Participating nations in Cutlass Express 2015 include Australia, Canada, Comoros, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Seychelles, Tanzania and Turkey. Additionally, U.S. representatives from the Eastern Africa Standby Force, EU Naval Force, International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Combined Maritime Forces are participating as well. This is the first year sailors from the Madagascar navy are taking part in the exercise, and also the first time sailors from the South African navy are sending a boarding team.

Scenarios will take place in the vicinity of two operational hubs: Djibouti, Djibouti and Port Louis, Mauritius.

The exercise will last eight days, with the focus being on three days of at-sea scenarios to test boarding teams and watchstanders in the Maritime Operations Centers (MOCs).

The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56), homeported in Mayport, Florida, arrived early in the morning and is scheduled to participate in the exercise.

The U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

“Maritime security has long been a cornerstone of U.S. security policy. All of our nations are bound together by the oceans, therefore it is in our collective interest to work together as partners. Each of our nations will be stronger as a result of our close partnership,” said Shari Villarosa, U.S. ambassador to Mauritius.

At the opening ceremony in Mauritius, Dromerhauser said that, “I want to extend a special welcome to maritime professionals from Madagascar, who are participating with us for the first time as observers. I also want to highlight South Africa, observers last year, now participating with a boarding team and a LNO.

“A secure maritime environment ensures that global trade continues unimpeded. Trade—the majority of which traverses across the world’s oceans—is the driver for all nations to realize greater prosperity; greater prosperity enables increased investments in navies and security organizations; and greater security leads to a more stable world. For this reason, safe, secure waterways are a benefit to all nations.

“Cutlass Express is designed to sharpen our skills in a number of areas so we can indeed make the waterways more secure. To reiterate the exercise objectives, we should aim to: conduct maritime operations under existing regional frameworks like the Djibouti Code of Conduct; share information from one MOC to another; increase our maritime domain awareness capacity so we can recognize suspect vessels when they are patrolling our waters; strengthen the bonds between each and every participating nation so that we can all work together for the long term.”

Along the lines of what I said about foreign troops; ‘only those (countries) in the sphere’ of the current BH crises would be allowed as part of any troop deployment.
Also incredibly good at how the army’s blitzkreig is coming on. If you want to have a clue of the towns liberated, one can look them up their names and how they link up on wikimapia.

Oga Beeg, i am not guilty and should not be held liable for defending myself from aerial reconnaissance drones of beegeaglesblog (Igbi and Co United) whose job is to hover all day finding every post i make and shredding them to pieces with the same nonsense ” Boko Haram Symphatiser/CIA Spyy bullshit”. When will someone stop being nice and tell these detractors the truth once and for all?

I simply can’t take the conversation here serious when one-third of it is hostile foreigners advocating regime change while pretending to be Nigerians, another third is infantile “men” who cannot control their outbursts and the final third are level-headed Nigerian patriots who are constantly on the defensive side of the narrative.

I will be back to crow and gloat when we (yet again) throw a spanner into the works of those who wish to carve up the world for themselves by refusing to be defeated. In the meantime, keep on uploading your poorly-done propaganda youtube videos with a face-palming president and talking up the Chadian airforce with it’s magnificent air superiority of 2 Mig-29s.

it is heart warming to hear that BH is being trashed. now it is time to keep up the pressure and wipe them out completely.
as i can see that new arms acqusitions by nigeria has played a positive role in this fight.they should further go for new arms to bloster their firepower.
automatic grenade launchers are cheap and effective both in anti personel and area denial roles.
mount them on carriers or give them to foot soldiers,they are very handy.
indian army has used them on CT operations to flush out and set up ambushes.
i hope NA will buy them in near future if they already dont have them.

Oga Lachit Nigeria has acquired quite a few of the Norinco QLZ 04,the quantity,I am not sure of the one thing that Nigeria has to undoubtley take a look at moving forward as the tide is beginning to surely shift is AGL that have the thermal image locator on it for heat signature and especially for fighting@ Night,Like the drones just as we predicted and shouted ourselves hoarse on this blog the AGLs and MGLs have proved to be game changers.Thank you for your contributions. My sincere hope is that Nigeria and Iran collaborate at least on the radar equipment,like Iran there are are some parts of Nigeria that are hilly and even Mountains. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network

@Jimimy
Iran is a very useful middle power that we should be cooperating with on joint programs. They have a ‘can do’ spirit that rivals the American and they can improvise themselves out of every known situation.

Ngala is the key ,now as long as Fotokensol North (Nigeria) and Fotokensol North (Cameroon) are being bombarded artillery wise on enemy positions, the Gamboru-Ngala axis circle is now completed .Please pardon oga beegs the names and spellings of these towns,their proximity to one another and the really undefined areas of one leg in cameroon and one leg in Nigeria even Mr google will struggle with it. Confirmed from red necks to bloggers :twelve to sixteen hour days is not uncommon lots of stress but this stress is the best kind Morale is high and we are in a kick ass mode, and to some Nigerians who do not believe we all have gps systems and radios.God bless Nigeria. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network

Al-Jazeera says ”Nigerian fighter jets have over the past couple of days pummeled Boko Haram convoys and known hideouts to submisiion, with many on the run men of the MNJTF have been effective in mowing down retreating terrorist. This wont be the first time we have BOKO Haram on the run but this time it will be different if they are not allowed to rearmed and funded. I think this time around Boko Haram will be finnished.

BH Destruction was always assured, it was matter of when and how, whose timing is Now, even if ISIS their grand master comes into the flay the story would still be the same. , Sayounara. We are seeing an awaken Giant, the consequences of their defeat will be far reaching, it will make foolish the western press and So called desk top analysts. because the without their advisers ( US got kicked out and their Old Cobra which are of less tactical flexible than the Mi24/35s ), the Nigerian forces speed to turn the battle in quick and intense manoeuvres at their own time, the patience and discipline of steel to hold fire till all requirements are in place including luring our neighbors to block avenues of escape or regrouping, is going to teach the world a thing or two.

This is just the point we have been trying to keep quiet about. That MLRS system was actually captured by Boko Haram. A patriot keeps quiet about some things but I am still bristling that such a devastating weapon system ended up with the enemy.

I have been looking for just one pic of Nigerian army’s MLRS for almost 3 years with no result. It appears the bulk of Nigerian army’s firepower is never seen, got a feeling there is more about the Nigerian army than even we may know. If Boko Haram is a political thing that it makes great sense to keep from the Press the best of our military hardware, if not it will beg the question with such advanced hardware how come the recent setbacks…get my drift?

My great worries is on those who don’t understand what warfare is all about. The real problem is that most of us under estimate the capabilities of BH as being the next terror group just after ISIL. Boko Haram is well funded and provides a lucrative business for off border terror groups along the entire Sahara belt. AQIM, TUAREG and other international and continental terror networks all heading to Nigeria for battle business. Nigeria will only waist men and material if our neighbors sit tight without action. She has muscled its demands to reality to force its Neighbors into war with Boko Haram. Despite media brouhaha on Cameroun elite group, it took only a threat video from Shekau to make Biya beg for assistance. For Chad, there is no doubt she possesses hard weaponry since the time of hostilities with Libya but not a MATE to the Nigerian Armed Forces. Few persons have revealed certain secret capabilities of the Nigeria but still, we compare our might to a very famined nation just because she has 15 Jets. A country we can compare to Rivers State not to mention Lagos.
You should better understand why the west is desperate to stop us from acquiring weapons even after the death of 15,000 Nigerians. Still, our diplomatic strength is far greater than their evil machinations. We should never collect any hardware from any broken deal if it becomes apparent we have used only our initiative to tackle our challenges. If not, the media would claim the SALE OF COBRA HELOs WAS VITAL TO NIGERIA DESSIMATION OF BOKO HARAM.

Dear friends for now, we need not spread fear and panic but a true resolve to medially attack constructively anybody, nation or people who want to tear us apart. When human rights and AI cry over Nigeria and keep producing satellites pictures, we may ask if they have any picture on Guantanamo Bay. It is clear the real war is in our minds. We should help to put hope than fear, promote One Nigeria, strong and ever grateful to its armed forces. Criticize analytically and make this blog compete with the best. A united Nigeria defeated Ebola in weeks, A united Nigeria will therefore pose very GRAVE threat to many. What makes a country is its people, what determines our strength is the citizens’ unbroken will.

On the current war effort, the AOR of the MNJTF is now increased and tasked to close escape routes as well as engaging terrorists. MNJTF have been there for years. Therefore, heralding the perceived might of only one country might be detrimental to the smooth operations of MNJTF. We can therefore praise our gallant troops as well as other true contributors to the MNJTF. They are not doing Nigeria any favour but only realizing the threats on their door steps.

Amen my brother you have spoken the truth.AI needs to be asked for daily updates on Guantanamo bay,they should also be asked when they are going to refer people who toture and get paid $xxxx to the UN. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network

Well spoken Sir, You commented like a seasoned Asymmetric warfare media/correspondence, best I have heard. covers all, gives, yet does not take away from any one, but cleverly empowers confidence in Nigerian and at the same time praise allies without taking the moment from us, presented us as being in control all the time, hence we are getting our expected results. the SAS survival training say’s all we perceive are states of mind, in captivity as a prisoner perceive yourself as being free from the problems of outside life just like a monk self recluses himself. BH was rejected by al-Qaida for being too brutish and ruthless, we face a serious force which was partly supported by some of our so-called friends, even though they were not visible materially active, they see their interest served in achieving the same outcome, they were hoping we come out a weakened Nigeria to be easily pushed around in the West African region after the melee is over, Now they are having a re-think and offering help after elections
I would really like to see Shekau made to dance “guitar Boy” on top of his burned out trucks as he did with the MG as he did in his Video.

Hundreds of north-bound troops and spanking new BigFoot MRAPs spotted in a major city. MRAPS have 12.7mm HMGs mounted.

WE DO NOT WANT ANY other army stealing the NA’s thunder here. They locked down MDGR, encircled MCHK and are blighting Sambisa. The tail does not wag the dog. NA must restrict MJTF action to within 10 miles of our border

Oga Beeg too late, our army PR Committee have been lacking. The way its presented over the media it would appear Chad is being hailed as the saviour doing for Nigeria what the ”once mighty” Nigerian army cant. Its a bitter pill to swallow but thats the truth.

the mrap has a three gun mounthed 12.7mm hmgs…instead of it to have one gun it has three attached to it..left right and forward with a soldier attached its not a one gun tin but three and they were two mrap by the way

Oga Beeg, permit me to say it may be too late unless Defense HQ immediately commences a massive PR campaign bombardment – news, conferences, tweets, videos, The major foreign media – CNN, BBC, Aljazeera, Reuters are already positioning to name Chad the saviours of Nigeria eventhough they liberated just one or 2 villages under the MJTF.

I think some of us really need to smell the coffee beans before they get roasted on the fire.We are fighting a war,not a tv war,not a let us please amorika or oyinbo war.
Let me repeat this for the umpteenth time, there is nothing Nigeria can do in the eyes of some media and some nations that they will believe we are capable of doing, we bought tanks, they are from angola, we now have pgms it must be chad,we bought drones one clearly crashed in borno where the only known military assets are Nigeria so called respected western journals refused to make that call.We are not fighting a tv war we need our focus a 110% on the physical.let the bbcs of this war lie all they want heck when Nigeria gets its first sub let them say it belongs to chad in the greater scheme of things long term it is complete irrelevant.

I usually get first hand information and sometimes Classified like the one I just got.
just to let you all know, Boko haram are having it hot as I right.
chadians and French airforce are securing the borderline so that boko haram doesn’t escape.
the Nigerian Military is massively……I mean MASSIVELY conducting an ELIMINATING process of boko haram.
news have it right now that about 35, 000 bokos are currently pleading for surrender and begging the Chadians to allow them escape.

sorry bokos the Nigerian army is on an Elimination process.

I only wish a massive PR should be conducted by the Nigerian military so as to put our haters to shame and tell the world that WE ARE NIGERIA.

First of all, please lose the “we”. You are only one person so say I. And second of all I don’t recall you having these kinds of objections when anybody said anything negatif about Nigeria and its armed forces. If I recall you immediately took any bad information as truth. Now someone is saying something positif and all you can do is to try to ridicule him.

I am definitely very happy Boko’ s are encircled but if they were actually up to 35000 in number over such a wide area they probably don’t even know yet that they have been encircled not to talk of asking for surrender at this point. I am not disproving the possibility or feeling sorry for Boko Haram, I just think the man is embellishing the story a little which is okay by me anyway. Saying they are about to ask for surrender is also crediting them with a level sophistication they probably don’t have + encirclement is a conventional warfare situation that has no meaning to an insurgent group.
My exact feeling about the situation; about 12000 to 15000 are encircled and will soon run out of ammunition, food, water and supplies. A number of them will attempt to divide into small groups to melt away through footpaths while some will stand and fight to the end. Saying that some of the insurgents view Chad was an escape route or in a more favourable way for surrender is undermining of the coalition we have with that country.

Nigeria’s military says the country’s sovereignty has not been compromised despite the presence of Chadian ground troops in the northeast to fight Boko Haram.

Chadian soldiers crossed the border from northern Cameroon to the Nigerian town of Gamboru on Tuesday after three days of bombardment of Boko Haram positions in a regional fight-back against the Islamists.

They were also deployed near two villages on the Niger side of the border and appeared poised to cross into Nigeria to take the town of Malam Fatori, according to local residents.

But Abuja’s defence spokesman Chris Olukolade played down concerns about the presence of a foreign power on Nigerian soil, and claimed the country’s troops were leading the offensives.

“Contrary to the impression being pushed in some quarters, it is the Nigerian forces that planned and are driving the present onslaught against terrorists from all fronts in Nigeria, not the Chadian forces, as is being propagated by some media,” he said.

Olukolade said there were contingents from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad in the operations, which allowed “a massive move against terrorists from all angles”.

Joint deployments and patrols have been conducted in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria, he added.

“Chadians and other are however keying into and working in concert with the overall plan for an all-round move against the terrorists, as agreed,” he said.

“Nigeria’s territorial integrity remains intact.”

Nigeria’s military has long been criticised for its inability to end the six-year Boko Haram insurgency, which aims to carve out a hardline Islamic state in the country’s far northeast.

Pressure for a more effective multinational force to combat the group’s threat to regional security mounted after a deadly January 3 attack on the Nigerian town of Baga.

Each time i bring to the floor the possibility of a Chadian/Cameroon invasion of Nigerian territory i get labelled an alarmist, crude or not versed on military matters. Well i do not hold a degree on military strategies or research but common sense tells me this ” Fighting Boko Haram” saga is nothing but a font for Idris. The real target is North East Nigeria using Boko Haram as smoke screen and you have to hand it to the Chadians on this one, they flush out Boko Haram as they INVADE THE COUNTRY. If Nigeria raises an alarm or accuses Chad it can always be said that Chad is performing an already made request for a MNJTF and is only fighting Boko Haram, they have the support and nobody will doubt then…but again Chad is monitoring closely the response of the Nigerian government to this development. If the Nigerian government acts like its in disarray and raises no objection trust me the Chadians will ”continue its invasion/liberation of Nigerian Towns after which they will not pull back their forces.

beegeagle please consider banning this oje of a guy. All he does is spew propaganda, and it is all aimed at having us attack our allies in the fight against boko haram. He has proven many times that he is a boko haram sympathiser. Many Nigerians are avoiding the blog because of comments made by this oje who keeps impersonating us.

@ Oje your observations are quite clear but Nigeria is maintaining focus on Boko Haram. We cant fight Boko Haram, Chad, Cameroun (US and FRANCE) and the entire international media at the same time. Chad and Cameroun now see the advantage of joining hands with Nigeria now. Otherwise they will battle their lives out if Nigeria massively push the terrorist out. But to answer your question, i must confidently state that SOME of the principal contributors to Boko Haram insurgency have been established. If you had listened to the president speech most times he carefully stated (EXTERNAL FORCES). The application of wisdom to solve the worst problem first, is the best course of action.

BH Destruction was always assured, it was matter of when and how, whose timing is Now, even if ISIS their grand master comes into the flay the story would still be the same. , Sayounara. We are seeing an awaken Giant, the consequences of their defeat will be far reaching, it will make foolish the western press and So called desk top analysts. because the without their advisers ( US got kicked out and their Old Cobra which are of less tactical flexible than the Mi24/35s ), the Nigerian forces speed to turn the battle in quick and intense manoeuvres at their own time, the patience and discipline of steel to hold fire till all requirements are in place including luring our neighbors to block avenues of escape or regrouping, is going to teach the world a thing or two.

“The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in which Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad have contingents are part of the ongoing onslaught against terrorists in this region.

“The countries that make up the Lake Chad Basin Commission also had some understanding, which now enables a massive move against terrorists from all angles.

“Contrary to the impression being pushed in some quarters, it is the Nigerian forces that planned and are driving the present onslaught against terrorists from all fronts in Nigeria; not the Chadian Forces as is being propagated by some media.

“For instance Chadian forces have been deployed in Baga Sola, which is a Chadian territory.

“There have been some joint deployments and patrols around Kirawa, Ashgashiya and other locations in borders of Cameroun, Nigeria and Chad as part of these operations.

“Chadians and others are however keying into and working in concert with the overall plan for an all-round move against the terrorists as agreed.

THAT is very, very correct. In a world press where Nigeria is infinitely denigrated, it is important that the regional forces do not go beyond TEN MILES of our borders.

It would be extremely naive to allow that to happen because the global press are rearing to hand the victory to foreigners. TRUTH IS, we need the neighbours to block off escape routes and no more. If we choose the easy way out, there shall be gnashing of teeth. Today’s military leadership must prosecute this war in such a way as to ensure that nobody steals the thunder of our fighting men…which is what these soulless foreign media would love to do, aided as always by despicable Nigerians such as would tell you how CJTF saved MDGR whereas they rode into the battle led by NA troops and operated in the shade of NA tanks and APCs.

Our military PR Managers must work extra hard to show Nigerians what roles our troops have played. Put together, all the towns liberated.

My Oga’s, the attitude our military PR is exhibiting over Chads involvement in raids on Nigerian soil leads to one conclusion; Nigeria has played deft diplomatic hand to force a structured response from all stakeholders, including those whose purposes bordered on the nefarious.

By bringing in oversight of the UN, we have been able to force our neighbours to play ball. This is because the UN comes with a lot of rules, procedures and well researched reports. It is no longer a wild land with the Western press making up stories or acting as the propaganda vehicle for Cameroons Western serving, but suicidal propaganda. Cameroon, Chad and Niger now have to report they actions and provide situational assessment’s that make sense to a security council that includes not just the West, but Russia and China and a wider UN that includes not just South Africa, but India, Brazil, Iran etc.

The field is now structured much better and to our advantage and has allowed us to go on a wide “once and for all” offensive that in the past would only have ended in futility, with boko haram simply melting into Cameroon, Chad and Niger to regroup and strike again.

The inclusion of the UN also cuts off unproven stories of human rights abuse. Now only facts will sail and the Western press can busy themselves with fictional stories of the helmetless Chadian armies heroics. It doesn’t matter, we now have our anvil in place. Small price.

Every up and coming nation faces the same difficulties from the usual crew, because they see what most cannot yet see. It is Nigeria’s turn and we seem to be acquitting ourselves quite handily. Greatness, unity and sense of direction will arise from these trials.